That seems to be the motto for the senior class of the Miller Grove
Hornets for the 2005 season as five seniors have led the Hornets to a
5-3 overall record and 3-0 in District 14-A play.

Those seniors - Frank Weaver, Ray Sparks, Ben Whillock, Jon Dodd and
B.J. Shoemaker - have either played together since tee-ball or have known
each other since kindergarten.

"Looking at this group, we have five seniors and three of them have
played every sport every year," MGHS coach Sam Panter said. "This group
of seniors is a good group and they have worked hard and they do what
you ask them to do."

Weaver, the No. 1 pitcher for the team since he was a freshman, has
been playing baseball since he was five years old and has been a four-year
starter on the varsity squad along with Sparks.

"I like the pitching because I have the control of the game, and I
like the pressure. I just love playing baseball because I love everything
about it," Weaver said. "I am proud of my guys because I think we are
doing pretty good right now at this point in the season."

Weaver said he plans on attending either Dallas Baptist University
or Northwood University for a business degree and hopes to play baseball
in college.

Sparks has been playing baseball with Frank and Jon ever since they
were in tee-ball and said after this season it is going to be the last
time that they will probably be hanging out with each other and that
is going to be tough for him.

"I have been playing since I was in tee-ball and then until fourth
grade before taking some time off and then came back in seventh grade
and it is just a fun game and when everything comes together and everybody
works together it is just fun," Sparks said.

Sparks said this summer he plans on moving to Arkansas to volunteer
at a church retreat camp and that after his final year at Miller Grove
he will continue to play in church league baseball games.

"This summer, I am moving to Arkansas and volunteering at a church
retreat camp in the Ozark Mountains from the last day of school until
Aug. 13," he said. "After this baseball season, I won't be playing in
college and will most likely just play church league."

Sparks plans on going into the military after going to either Paris
Junior College or Texas A&M-Commerce for two years and then enlisting
in the Air Force.

For Whillock, he has had the opportunity to play high school baseball
at Miller Grove and was on the Sulphur Springs Wildcats baseball team
last year and said he will be playing in the National Championships in
Round Rock with a club team this June.

"This is my third year here because my freshman and sophomore year
I played here and then last year I was at Sulphur Springs and now I am
back out here," Whillock said.

Ben said he would like to attend either Tarleton State or Northeast
Texas Community College with a major in Business to possibly become a
sports agent.

"I got a few tryouts with a couple of teams in the upcoming months
that I would really like to go to and play baseball with," he said.

Whillock has taken on the role as the No. 2 pitcher behind Weaver this
year and said being one of the leaders on the team means a lot to him
to have his fellow teammates watching what he does every game.

"It has been a lot of fun this year since all of the younger guys are
looking up to me and Frank and just trying to see what we are going to
do, and it is a lot of fun coming off the field hearing your teammate
talking about the way you play," Whillock said.

The 2005 season is the first year back for Dodd and his first year
since the fifth grade to be playing baseball and he said he felt it was
time for him to get back into the sport and to hang out with his friends.

"I thought that I needed to make the time to get back to playing baseball
since this is my senior year and I like to hang out with my friends and
play ball since coach plays me in the outfield and occasionally at second
base," he said.

Jon plans to attend L-3 Communications and if that doesn't work out
then said he would like to go to Devry University to get a degree in
computer relations.

Shoemaker rounds out the senior class of Hornet baseball players and
said he is undecided about his college plans at the moment but has been
on the Miller Grove varsity for two years at center field and second
base.

"I have tried to help all of the freshman and give them an example
to follow even though I am not one of the greatest players," Shoemaker
said. "Really I just like hanging out with everybody and the winning
just goes along with it and even if we are losing we are still having
fun."

Panter said with this senior class they are going to leave a lasting
impression on the Miller Grove baseball team in terms of their athleticism
and leadership skills and that the underclassman will have to be able
to match their enthusiasm in the coming years.

"You can look at this group athletically and with their leadership
because each one of these guys have had leadership roles at some point," Panter
said. "Not only are they good athletes but they are good citizens and
good students here at Miller Grove."

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